At the same moment when Ye Yu's third ice-attribute Martial Soul prototype fused the Martial Soul essences of both the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor and the Golden Holy Dragon, transforming into the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul—
Because this was a sacrifice, the Ice Empress's soul was entirely bound within the Spirit Ring.
According to the Skydream Ice Worm,
By relying on the connection between the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's essence within the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul, the Ice Empress was able to detach her soul from the Spirit Ring and attach it directly to the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul.
Otherwise, without the Skydream Ice Worm's extraordinary spiritual power, the Ice Empress would never have been able to separate her consciousness from the Spirit Ring and freely move outside.
When the Ice Empress's soul attached to the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul, Ye Yu naturally sensed it.
Although the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul carried the Ice Empress's essence,
It was still Ye Yu's Martial Soul,
and thus completely under his absolute control.
With just a single thought, Ye Yu could have repelled the Ice Empress's soul from within the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion's body.
But he did not do so.
On one hand, he had previously promised to allow the Ice Empress to possess the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul, letting her retain her consciousness and mobility.
On the other hand, Ye Yu could also apply the Martial Soul Materialization Method—the same way he could materialize the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree—to materialize the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion.
And the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion's size was massive—
even in Martial Soul form, it exceeded ten meters in length.
If allowed to grow after materialization, it could easily reach over a hundred meters.
And the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion could fly.
Ye Yu could use it as a mount—both for travel and in combat,
allowing him to fight side by side with it.
Since it could serve as a mount,
it was naturally better to have the Ice Empress's soul inhabit its body.
"Success!"
After fully merging her soul into the Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion,
The Ice Empress felt the new body,
and realized that the looming threat of the four-hundred-thousand-year lightning tribulation had completely vanished.
She could not help but feel exhilarated.
After the sacrifice was complete,
Ye Yu gazed at the ferocious and majestic Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul behind him and felt deeply satisfied.
With a thought,
He withdrew the summoned Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree and Ice Jade Dragon Scorpion Martial Soul.
He also recalled the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree clone inhabited by the Skydream Ice Worm back into the Blue Silver Domain.
Glancing at the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor's torso bone in his arms, Ye Yu asked the Skydream Ice Worm:
"Tian Meng, where is that ice cavern you fell into before?"
"Since it had Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow, it should also have other ice-attributed heavenly treasures."
"Take me there."
Ye Yu was quite interested in the ice cavern the Skydream Ice Worm had fallen into.
Moreover, in his arms was the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor Torso Bone, complete with an External Spirit Bone – Scorpion Tail Hook.
Because he was familiar with the Ice Empress's Spirit Abilities,
Before the sacrifice, Ye Yu had instructed the Ice Empress to set the torso bone's abilities as Ice Emperor Possession and Ice Empress' Pincer .
Ice Empress Possession: Condenses a full-body armor of solid ice.
Ice Empress' Pincer : Transforms both arms and hands into the Empress's giant pincers—immensely strong and unyielding.
The first filled Ye Yu's gap in single-target defensive Spirit Abilities.
The second enhanced his self-created Spirit Abilities and increased the power of his close-combat strikes.
Thus, this Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor Torso Bone was something Ye Yu intended to fuse with—
and for that, he needed a safe location.
"The ice cavern I fell into before?"
The Skydream Ice Worm scratched his head.
"The Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow and supreme-grade Cold Marrow there were all eaten by me."
"As for other treasures, I didn't really check."
"Take me there to have a look!"
At Ye Yu's request,
Amid the endless blizzards of the Extreme North, the Skydream Ice Worm led Ye Yu toward the ice cavern he had once fallen into, which had contained vast amounts of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow.
This ice cavern was deep underground, surrounded by solid millennia-old ice, making it difficult to descend directly.
It could only be reached via an ice crevice.
"Here, Lord Ye Yu,"
"This is the ice crevice that leads down to the cavern I fell into!"
When they arrived at the narrow crevice, the Skydream Ice Worm looked a bit embarrassed.
"This crevice is rather narrow. Back then I was still relatively low in cultivation and slim in size—so I slipped through."
"But, Lord Ye Yu… you might have trouble fitting."
Ye Yu simply smiled faintly.
"Can't get down?"
"Who said I can't get down?"
"There may be things in this world Ye Yu cannot do—but descending this crevice is not one of them."
Without another word, Ye Yu summoned the Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree Martial Soul, and from one of its thick roots, he grew an extremely thin blue crystal root tendril.
It slipped effortlessly into the crevice, descending all the way to the ice cavern below.
Compared to the narrow ice crevice, the underground ice cavern was vastly more spacious.
Once the slender blue crystal root tendril reached deep inside,
Ye Yu urged it to grow explosively, splitting and rooting until it became a full Blue Silver Spirit Jade Tree.
Using the Blue Silver Domain's teleportation, Ye Yu instantly transported himself down into the cavern.
Meanwhile, at the ice peak where the Ice Jade Scorpion nest lay—
The powerful energy fluctuations from the Ice Empress's sacrifice surged outward through the howling wind and snow, spreading in all directions.
Before long, the wave of energy and aura reached—
A towering snow peak crowned with a magnificent palace of ice and snow.
Inside this palace,
A tall, graceful woman in a flowing white gown sat upon an ice dais, her long, pure-white hair cascading like a waterfall down her back.
Her features were exquisite beyond compare, her presence noble and cold, her temperament like a winter plum blooming proud against the snow.
Eyes closed, she seemed to be cultivating.
The instant she sensed the energy wave from the Ice Empress's sacrifice,
Her crystal-clear, sky-blue eyes snapped open.
A faint frown touched her flawless face as she murmured to herself:
"This is the Ice Empress' Spirit Power and aura!"
"Such powerful fluctuations—could the Ice Empress have encountered an enemy?"
At once, the Snow Empress rose and left the palace,
Harnessing the raging blizzard, she shot into the sky, speeding toward the Ice Jade Scorpion's nest.
When she landed before the ice peak,
She entered the cavern—only to find no trace of the Ice Empress.
Her frown deepened, and a pang of unease stirred in her heart.
At that moment, several Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Jade Scorpions scuttled over,
Crying out in grief:
"Lord Snow Empress, a human came and killed Lord Ice Empress!"
"You must avenge her!"
The Snow Empress's beautiful, icy face instantly became as cold as midwinter frost, her heart seething with fury.
A damned human! How dare they come to my Extreme North and hunt one of my Heavenly Kings! They are simply seeking death!